Metalphoto Processing Services
Sealed inside anodized aluminum
Metalphoto® photosensitive anodized aluminum seals the image beneath the anodic layer, and has been designated the most durable aluminum substrate available on the market. We produce Metalphoto® parts used for military-grade specifications known to go through some of the harshest conditions.
U.S. Nameplate Co. offers Metalphoto® for durable, long-lasting aluminum orders. It is a photo-imaging process that creates a black image, design, or text inside an anodized aluminum surface rather than on top of it. We stock Metalphoto® anodized aluminum in varying thicknesses and can handle jobs of most any size. Quotes are free.
About Metalphoto processing
Metalphoto® is recommended for extremely harsh environments — where exposure to weather, extreme temperatures, sunlight, chemicals and solvents, or salt spray is normal rather than exceptional.
It is designated as the most durable aluminum substrate available on the market, and it is UL recognized. If you have a plate that keeps coming back illegible, or an asset tag that has to be readable after twenty years bolted to something that lives outdoors, this is the specification that ends the problem.
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Nameplates for equipment in severe service
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Barcode and asset-tracking plates that must scan years later
The Metalphoto process
Metalphoto® uses the porous nature of unsealed anodized aluminum to create a sub-surface image. The anodic layer is impregnated with silver compounds, then exposed and developed much like traditional black-and-white photography. The image forms *inside* the anodic layer, and the layer is then sealed over it.
That is the whole argument. There is no ink film to abrade off, no printed surface to fade, and no coating to chip. To damage the legend you have to damage the aluminum itself. A sapphire-hard anodized surface makes that difficult.
Because it is a photographic process, resolution is extremely high. Fine text, dense schematics, logos, barcodes, and QR codes all reproduce cleanly and stay scannable.
Applications
Metalphoto® plates are commonly specified in military, aircraft, marine, heavy construction, and industrial applications, and Metalphoto® products meet military specifications.
Military and defenseMeets or exceeds the strictest military standards. See
military and defense.
Aerospace and aircraft
Identification that survives altitude cycling, temperature extremes, and inspection regimes.
Marine
Salt spray is the exposure that removes printed identification fastest. This is the standard answer to it.
Heavy construction and miningEquipment that is sand-blasted by its own working environment. See
mining.
TransportationLong-service identification on vehicles and trailers. See
transportation.
Metalphoto materials and finishes
Metalphoto® anodized aluminum
.003″–.125″ thickness, in matte, satin, and satin gold finishes. The only substrate used in this process.
Durability
Fire, abrasion, and corrosion resistant, UL recognized, and specified where military-grade durability is required.
Finish selection
Matte kills glare on operator-facing plates. Satin and satin gold are chosen where the plate is also a brand surface.
Thicker stock is used where the plate is structural or takes mechanical fasteners; thinner stock where it is bonded to a surface with adhesive.
Metalphoto, etching, or printing
All three run here, and they sit at different points on the durability and cost curve.
Metalphoto®
The most durable option. Photographic resolution, sub-surface image, military-grade. Specified when the plate must outlive everything around it.
Metal etchingThe legend is etched into the metal and filled. Highly chemical and abrasion resistant, and excellent for harsh outdoor service. See
metal etching.
Screen or digital printingLowest cost, widest color range, and entirely adequate for interior and moderate outdoor service — particularly with a protective overlaminate. See
screen printing.
Tell us the exposure the part actually lives in and the service life you need, and we will tell you which one you are paying for unnecessarily.
How a Metalphoto order runs
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Send your artwork or drawing. Our seasoned art department turns a blueprint or artwork into a press-ready proof at no charge, and quotes are free on every order.
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We confirm the specification. Thickness, finish, plate size, hole pattern, and whether the part is fastened or bonded.
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You approve the proof. Including barcode or serial data if the plates carry variable information.
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Production. Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved, in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. Rush work runs 3–5 business days for an additional fee.
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Delivery. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard, and repeat releases can run against a stocking program.
Metalphoto RFQ checklist
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Artwork or drawing, with the plate outline and any hole positions
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The environment the plate lives in — outdoors, marine, chemical, high temperature
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The service life you need the legend to hold for
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Whether any military or customer specification applies
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Thickness and finish if specified, or the mounting method so we can recommend them
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Whether plates carry serial numbers, barcodes, or other variable data
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Quantity and your timing, including the date the line actually needs parts
If you do not have all of that yet, send what you have and call 319-895-8804. Customer service is open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday, and you will always reach someone in person.
Since 1946
Family-owned and operated in Mount Vernon, Iowa
3,000+
OEMs supplied across the U.S. and abroad
25 years
Outdoor exposure, some products guaranteed longer
7–10 days
Typical production after proof approval
$0
Tooling fee on in-house equipment
Why U.S. Nameplate Co.
Why manufacturers bring Metalphoto processing work to U.S. Nameplate Co.
One partner, one roof
Metal identification and flexible labels are produced under one roof in Mount Vernon, Iowa, so a single supplier covers plates, tags, overlays, decals, and safety labels instead of three.
No tooling fee on in-house equipment
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any in-house equipment. A one-time charge applies only when a tool has to be created for your order.
You reach a person
Customer service representatives are available 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday. You will always reach someone in person.
Built to outlast the equipment
Metal nameplates are built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, with some products guaranteed for 25 years or more. Safety labels are UL authorized and OSHA compliant, produced in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.
Family-owned since 1946
Supplier of choice to more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, with team members averaging 10+ years of service.
One piece or one million
The 55,000 sq ft climate-controlled facility is equipped to handle orders from a single plate to production volumes, on repeat release schedules.
Request a quote for Metalphoto processing
We offer free quotes on all Metalphoto processing orders. Send the drawing, artwork, quantities, application, and timing you have today — our art department turns a blueprint into a press-ready proof, and we will tell you what is still open.
Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved. Rush orders can be produced in 3–5 business days for an additional fee. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Request a Quote or call 319-895-8804 and you will reach someone in person.
